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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Thoughts on Psalm 119:2

Blessed! There it is again! This is really setting the tone for this great Psalm, isn’t it? Let’s look deeper into this idea of being “blessed.”

The Virgin Birth had been prophesied by Isaiah some 700 years prior:

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

And Isaiah went on to describe this Son:

And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end… Isaiah 9:6-7

I am sure Mary was aware of this. She certainly had been to synagogue and heard these prophecies read many times in her life. Messiah - Mighty God - would come by way of a Virgin Birth.

And then one day an angel stands before her saying: “You will fulfill this prophecy!”

Wow. The King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Savior of the World - would be her Son! That is blessing that goes light years beyond just happy, prosperous, healthy, fulfilled and joyful. It’s almost incomprehensible. Truly she was blessed beyond our ability to articulate it.

But could we ever expect that kind of blessing in our lives? To be blessed like Mary was blessed?

Would you believe that Jesus Himself explicitly answers this question?

And it happened, as [Jesus] spoke... that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:27-28

Read it again: More than that!

Those who hear God’s word and keep it are more blessed than the virgin Mary!

Can you believe that? That it’s possible to be more blessed than Mary? It’s astonishing. Breathtaking. Yet Jesus said it is possible. And how does it happen?

By reading the Bible. But more than that - by hearingit. That is, when the words are more than just ink on a page - but they become a living voice - and you hear God speak to you in your heart.